Saturday, August 6, 2011

COLUMBIA, 8/9/11 (Beat Byte) -- For the second time in little more than a year, Columbia's Veterans Administration (VA) hospital is in hot water with the VA inspector general (IG). Cybersecurity is lacking at the hospital, claims a July 27 report from IG auditors acting on a tip that a private contractor gained unauthorized access to VA computer networks and veterans' health information.

The original complaint, from a VA hotline, alleged that unauthorized contractor access also occurred at VA medical centers in Kansas City, Mo., Huntington, W. Va., and Wilmington, Del. A VA contractor since 1992, but not named in the report, the vendor accessed a system that fills prescriptions, logs appointments, and manages confidential electronic health records.